William “Don” Barbour

It is with heavy hearts, and immense gratitude for a life so well lived, that we announce the passing of William "Don" Barbour on August 18, 2026, at the age of 92.

Don was the loving husband to Marilynn (née Mitchell) and the proud father of Warren (Susan), Wallace (Sarah), and Wes (Megan).  He was an even prouder grandfather. "Grand-Don" will be deeply missed by William, Sydney, Adam, Avery, Isabelle, Ruby, Tessa and Wynne.  Don also leaves behind six nephews and many extended family members and friends who will remember him always.

Don was born on March 19, 1934, outside of Erin, Ontario, to William Edward Barbour and Elda Isador Barbour (née Fletcher). Raised on the farm with his older sister Delores until the age of 14, he carried the lessons and rural ideals learned there throughout his life. Don never lost his appreciation for hard work, self-reliance, and getting his hands dirty. You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy.

Don graduated from Normal School (Teacher's College) at the age of 18, beginning a rewarding and accomplished career in public education.

While teaching at Queensborough Junior High School in 1961, he met the love of his life. Don and Marilynn were married in 1966 (took him long enough!). They spent the next 60 years devoted to each other and their family.

From the late 1960s through the late 1970s, Don and Marilynn made their home on Wildrose Crescent in Thornhill, where they raised their three boys. Those years were some of the happiest and most formative of their lives. The street was filled with young families, backyard barbecues, summer evenings, neighbourhood gatherings, and children who seemed to move freely from one house to the next. Don and Marilynn opened their home and their hearts to those around them, forming friendships that would last a lifetime. Many of the neighbours became more than friends; they became an extension of the family. Decades later, the stories and connections forged on Wildrose Crescent remained among Don's most cherished memories.

A most treasured time was the three years when the family lived in West Germany while Don and Marilynn taught at schools serving Canadian Forces families. It was during those years that their family embarked on journeys that perfectly captured Don’s spirit. Armed with little more than paper maps, determination, cartons of Marlboros for border guards, and a willingness to figure things out as they went, Don and Marilynn loaded up their young family into the Volvo, towing a trailer, and drove throughout Europe. Often bringing along guests from home, or leading convoys of other teachers, they ventured into countries whose languages they did not speak, and customs they had yet to learn. There was fearlessness there. Don and Marilynn believed there was always a way forward and that the adventure was worth taking.

Returning to Canada in 1981, the family put down new roots in Markham. The school years were busy, but it was the summers when Don was in his element.  Putting his boys to work, and many of their friends, building pools, decks and patios, he built a successful landscaping business, while earning the nickname among the boys and their friends of BDB (Big Don Barbour).

Don retired from teaching at the remarkably young age of 53, but retirement was never going to slow him down. He continued landscaping and spent several years helping to run the Pine Ridge Ski Club in Horseshoe Valley.  He filled his days with projects, travel, friendships, and family. He was happiest when he was busy.  Eventually, Don and Marilynn moved to Horseshoe Valley where they again made new lifelong friends and connections.

It was the house in Cathedral Pines that became the focal point for the family, and the beginning of the next chapter in their lives. His three daughters-in-law brought Don immense joy (and balance), and the addition of eight grandkids was prized.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were excuses to fry a turkey. New Year’s Eve and Oktoberfest were reasons to throw a party. More than two guests? Out came the cards: bridge, euchre, and Up and Down the River. He was a prolific card player. His ability to remember every card that had been played was uncanny. If you sat with him at a card table, you were in for a lesson. Winning or losing didn't matter. It was making sure everyone was having a good time that was important to him. He always won anyway.

While his family mourns his loss, they are comforted by countless memories of laughter-filled kitchens, road trips, fishing tips, card games, and plentiful gardens. Don lived fully, loved deeply, and left the world better than he found it.

He will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the remarkable and compassionate staff at Amica Little Lake, Royal Victoria Hospital, and Hospice Simcoe for the care, comfort, and dignity they provided to Don and his family.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honour Don's memory by spending time with family, sharing a story, tending a garden, taking an adventure, or simply finding a reason to laugh.

Words of condolence maybe left for the family below.